A Hand Extended
by Conteuse Vivante
Summary: Every relationship has its context. A request must be made before a plan can be set in motion. An imagined scene that fills in a few blanks. Canon vignette.


**Author's Note: **For those detail-oriented types like myself who are concerned with timelines and sequences of events, this vignette is set somewhere in the span of time covered by Order of the Phoenix, although it was inspired by information in Half-Blood Prince. For those who couldn't have cared less – Enjoy! SlV.

The crackling of the fire was a backdrop to the silence of the two men in the room. It was a silence that could not be described as either comfortable or awkward – rather it was necessary as one man stared unblinkingly into the fire, waiting for the other to finish reading the letter he had delivered.

After several minutes, the man reading the letter placed it on the table; he passed his hand over his face and sighed. His companion stirred but did not take his eyes from the fire, refusing to break the silence.

"Did he tell you what this was about?" Remus Lupin asked in a tired voice, cheek on his hand, eyes and fingertips resting on the document in question.

The other responded slowly, still looking into the flames.

"As it would appear to be indicated that he thought me the best person to be the bearer of the message, I can only surmise that you have been approached with a proposition similar to mine." He said, not quite achieving warmth in his tone. "Furthermore, being in possession of certain information relating to alliances recently formed, I am able to make a rather more educated guess as to the exact nature of his request."

Lupin stared at him and let out a dry laugh. "You're wasted as a teacher, Snape. You should go into law."

The black-haired man turned finally from the fire, eyes glittering. "Believe me Lupin, that if I had, your friends would have come off distinctly the worse from their run-ins with the Department."

"I refuse to be baited, Snape – Sirius derives so much more pleasure from arguing with you than I do. Just bear in mind that twelve years in Azkaban exceeds the usual sentence for reckless endangerment of life, and to my knowledge, he's committed no other crime."

Snape's eyes narrowed but he did not argue. Instead, he stood and removed his cloak from a chair. "I'll be needing a response, Lupin."

"Ah. Yes, of course." Lupin reached for a quill and wrote a few lines at the end of the parchment, tapping them with his wand so that they melted into the page. He rolled the letter and handed it back to the other man. "My regards to Dumbledore."

"He'll be thrilled" came the reply.

Intense silence. The two men stared one another down. Again it was Lupin who spoke first.

"I never properly expressed my appreciation at your making the potion for me. And as I apparently won't be needing it for a while…" he trailed off and then smiled wryly. "Sirius and James never gave you enough credit you know. You always were one of the best of our year."

Snape gave him a look of utter distaste. "Rest assured that lack of recognition from Black and Potter in no way affected my confidence. Furthermore, as the potion making was a task of duty rather than any sort of expression of fondness towards you, Lupin, there really is no need to thank me."

Lupin looked rather as though he had expected this and shook his head. "Why do you insist on trying to convince the whole Order to loathe and distrust you?"

"Because in my work for the Order Lupin, a lack of affectionate ties to these people serves me very well." He sized up his counterpart and spoke with a note of warning in his voice: "You might choose to make use of that line of reason yourself soon enough."

A shadow crossed Lupin's eyes, and when he replied, his voice was weary. "Yes," he said "I suppose I might."

This time the silence between them was uncomfortable.

Finally, Snape threw his cloak over his shoulders. "I'm expected elsewhere" he said.

"Of course." Lupin snapped out of his thoughts and stepped forward, a hand extended.

Snape looked taken aback and stared at the appendage as though it were severed.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough." Lupin continued calmly, hand still outstretched.

Snape reached out cautiously and shook Lupin's hand before turning and vanishing from the room in a swirl of black cloth.

After a few moments, Lupin heard the front door slam shut. _You're a strange man Severus Snape_ Lupin thought in the half-second before the pictures started to shriek. And with a half smile, he hurried out of the room to offer Sirius his assistance.


End file.
